The Other Way 'Round - Page 2
© Michael Martinez
The Rohirrim inspire debate and division among Tolkien readers more than any other group, except perhaps the Elves. The Rohirrim are often compared to the Anglo-Saxons, and there are people who argue that the Rohirrim must be modelled on the Anglo-Saxons because Tolkien used Old English (Anglo-Saxon) to represent their language. It's merely a silly fiction, after all, that he was translating a lost book into modern English, and needed to represent forgotten languages with documented languages. The fallacy in this line of thought is twofold: first, it contradicts Tolkien's own admonition not to confuse the Rohirrim with Anglo-Saxons; and secondly, perhaps more importantly, it assumes that the Rohirrim make some sort of statement about Anglo-Saxon culture.
In effect, if the Rohirrim are based on the Anglo-Saxons, they are an allegory (and a thinly disguised one). Such an identification thus makes Tolkien a liar twice over, because he noted on more than one occasion (including in the book's Foreword) that "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and have always done so...." And yet, he acknowledges that there is an 'applicability' factor, noting that "many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."
He most certainly chose those final words carefully: "the purposed domination of the author." The peril of the One Ring, for the world at large, is its ability to confer upon its wielder (who must first control it) the ability to dominate the wills of others. It was for this reason that Sauron made the Ring. The domination of the author eliminates all purposeful study by the reader, and Tolkien really cannot have been pretending he would prefer something so stringent and restricting. The chief beauty of The Lord of the Rings lies outside the story itself: it has become many things to many people.
And, in Eowyn, some of Tolkien's readers have found an iconography of the ideal woman of action. She is both stern and enduring, yet forceful and decisive when need demands she be so. But Eowyn is also tragic; in fact, her original storyline resulted in her death. In revising the book (prior to its initial publication), Tolkien softened Eowyn's part, and allowed her not only to live, but to find love and healing with Faramir. Her choices represent a combination of ideas which Tolkien synthesized only through multiple drafts. Eowyn became a refraction of several models blended into one unique character.
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